Man taken to hospital after late-night crash

December 20, 2012

A man was transported to the hospital late Wednesday night after the vehicle he was driving hit a tree and burst in flames in Cape Coral.

At 11:59 p.m., firefighters were called to the scene of a single-vehicle accident, in which the vehicle had collided into a tree, Cape Fire Battalion Chief Christopher Moore said. Two fire engines responded to the crash.

"Upon arrival, the car was on fire," he said.

Article Photos

Carol Orr Hartman

Cape Coral firefighters on the scene of a traffic accident late Wednesday night on Gleason Parkway. The pickup truck involved in the crash was fully engulfed in flames.

Carol Orr Hartman

Firefighters extinguish the flames of a burning pickup involved in a one-vehicle accident late Wednesday night.

The driver, whose identity was unknown Thursday, had been ejected.

Fire crews extinguished the fire and provided medical treatment to the driver until he was trauma-alerted to Lee Memorial Hospital for his injuries.

The man's medical condition was unknown as of Thursday night.

Cape police officials had little information on the accident.

"The vehicle left the roadway and struck some trees in the field," Lt. Tony Sizemore, spokesman for the CCPD, said. "The driver was ejected."

Witnesses said it appeared a police car was following the vehicle.

"They're still investigating that," Sizemore said.

According a witness, she was walking her dog at about 11:30 p.m. when a truck headed east on Southwest 32nd Terrace sped by her and turned left onto Southwest 11th Court. A police officer was pursuing the truck.

Soon after, the woman observed the truck on fire in the 700 block of Gleason Parkway. It appeared to have hit some pine trees in the median.